Literary Archives - The Litertarian

The Hounding is a new novel by Xenobe Purvis full of mysticism, skepticism, and general uproar over rumor and gossip that will have consequences for an entire village.

The Hounding by Xenobe Purvis Book Cover

There’s something strange about the five Mansfield sisters. The village has been plagued by a strange pack of dogs that never seem to be around at the same time as the sisters. When someone claims one afternoon to have seen them transform from girls into dogs, it sets off a chain of events that shrouds the whole village in low key hysteria.

The message this novel shares with The Crucible is an important one, even in our ‘modern’ times. Spreading lies and half truths or things you don’t know for sure has consequences and will have outcomes you won’t see coming.

I loved the telling of this tale. The writing itself was beautiful to read. It was an atmospheric almost fairy tale style read that I found immersive and interesting. It is technically historical fiction being based sometime in the 18th century, but it reads so smoothly I’m convinced readers of all genres will enjoy it.

It’s a lingering sort of tale – the type of story that will live in your mind far longer than the time it takes to read. The kind that makes me think I’ll get something new out of it no matter how many times I read it. Brilliant.

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title:: The Hounding
Author:: Xenobe Purvis
Genre:: Historical Fiction
Publisher:: Henry Holt & Co.
Length:: 240 pages
Audio Length:: 6h 24m
Audiobook Narrator:: Olivia Vinall
Published:: August 5th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

The Haunting of Maddy Clare | Simone St. James
The Familiar | Leigh Bardugo

I was this today years old when I learned what auto-fiction is. A fictional story using elements from the author’s real life. To be honest, I didn’t even catch that’s what this was until I saw every other review mentioning it. Apparently the ending was an actual break in the fourth wall! Now that I am aware of the format I am….confused?

If You Love It, Let It Kill You by Hannah Pittard Book Cover

I liked the concept of this novel: a bit of a mid-life crisis brought on by an ex-husband writing her into his most recent book painted in a bad light. I enjoyed a lot of the storytelling, even forgave some of the more…egregious aspects. Perhaps it is the intention of a novel like this to leave the reader in the uncomfortable space of questioning what exactly about the pages they just read is real and what is devised for literary intrigue. I hope to god the cat is in the later category.

Hmm. I’m flummoxed.

I think you might enjoy this book is you are an enthusiast of strange and unique writing. If you like the complicated, thought provoking, uncomfortable sort of book. But also, maybe, like me, you will rather think of it as a metaphor for some of life’s more devastating emotional blows and the way they affect us.

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title:: If You Love It, Let It Kill You
Author:: Hannah Pittard
Genre:: Auto-Fiction
Publisher:: Henry Holt & Co.
Length:: 304 pages
Audio Length:: 7h 36m
Audiobook Narrator:: Allyson Ryan
Published:: July 15th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 3.5-Stars